


Playing For Time

by Redkitty



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-14 14:04:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4567326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redkitty/pseuds/Redkitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Tonks is attacked by Lucius Malfoy, she comes up with a rather desperate plan to stall him. Soon both she and Hermione are under the power of the wizard, and they have only each other to rely on, if they are to escape. Takes place between Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written in 2004/2005 before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published.
> 
> Warm thanks to Alys for beta-reading, and because she was willing to discuss Lucius at some length while I wrote this.

Tonks wasn't really drunk. Tipsy, that was the word for it, which described the nice, slightly fuzzy feeling of just enough drinks and great company. It had been fun to see her old friends, muggle girls she had kept in touch with even after she had entered Hogwarts. Of course they never knew exactly what kind of school she went to. She had kept her magical ability well away from her friends, something she was quite proud of achieving. She didn't see them much, but once in a while they met, ate and drank and caught up on each other's lives.

She stayed tipsy until she had closed her front door and fumbled after the light switch, her wand still buried at the bottom of her bag. But somewhere between the moment she realised the lamp didn't light up, and when she was slammed faced front into the wall by invisible hands, she became dead sober. Pressed hard into the wall she was suddenly alert and thinking straight, but it was too late then. Tonks pressed her cheek against the cool surface of the wall and willed herself to think. Several trains of thought seemed to run through her mind at the same time.

She was aware of the faint smell of paint from the wall. Her father had insisted on painting it for her, even if she had told him it would be much faster and easier to do it with the help of magic. A labour of love he had called it and she did love it, even if the paintwork was far from perfect, a bit uneven here and there, and just in front of her, a hair from the brush had been caught in the drying paint.

She became aware of, and cursed the fact that she had not noticed earlier, that the wards around her home was broken. Perhaps not all of them, though... She carefully probed her mind around the remains of the spells, feeling the intruder's spell wrapped around them. There, unnoticed, where the alarm spell, slowly working through her captors new layers. In time it would ease through and a warning would be sent and then help would arrive within seconds. She just had to stay alive until then. Alive and still at home.

All the while she was aware of the man behind her. He was standing very close, not touching her, but far too close for comfort. Tonks strained to move her head so she could see her attacker and was rewarded by a brief glimpse of fair hair. With a nonchalance she didn't feel she greeted her unwelcome guest.

"Why hello, uncle Lucius. I'm so flattered you have come to see me. I didn't know you could get permission from Azkaban."

He hissed angrily and she was once again slammed into the wall, causing her head to spin. Her thoughts raced even faster; everything she had ever learned about Lucius Malfoy flashed through her mind in seconds. Arrogant. Dangerous. Vain. Very vain.

"That's quite a cocky little mouth you have there, halfblood." His voice, low and cultured, spoke close to her ear. "I believe the Dark Lord will take it out of you in a very short period of time. Why don't we join him, so you can see for yourself. I am sure he will be delighted with your company." He laughed softly. "Somehow I doubt you will be equally delighted."

Truly scared now, Tonks worked through her possibilities. If Lucius managed to leave with her, her chances to survive was very slim. Unbidden pictures of people, tortured and killed by the Death Eaters came to her mind. Dorcas Meadows, the Longbottoms, and many more. The Death Eaters obsession with blood would not help her, the Black blood from her mother was in their eyes hopelessly tainted with her father's. Blood that had been mingled with that of a Muggle-born's would only be a source of contempt, and that would be the best-case scenario.

No, if she was to be saved, she had to stay where she was until the alarm was activated. She cursed again, this time because her wand was in her bag, way out of reach for her. If she was to get out of this mess, she had to use Lucius Malfoy's weaknesses. Tonks felt a bit queasy. She had to put up a believable act now. Her life depended on it and she would only get one chance.

"Please don't hurt me." Her voice sounded breathless from fear. Well, that wasn't an act, she was truly frightened. "Please don't take me to You-Know-Who."

She sensed him take a step closer, still not touching her, but she could feel the heat from his body through the all too thin layers of her clothes. Tonks closed her eyes and concentrated. She let her body change, subtle changes that no one would see. She breathed out when she could feel her clothes tighten around her breasts and hips as they swelled.

"Please don't take me there, Lucius. If you don't, I could make it well worth your while. Think about it, you know that I am an Metamorphmagus. I could be anyone you like, for as long as you like. No need to mess around with Polyjuice. No restrictions."

She heard his sharp intake of breath and she allowed herself a brief triumphant smile, but he hadn't caught the bait fully yet. He was surely interested, now she had to make him stay that way. The memory of a re-told conversation flashed through her mind. A few phrases, a description of a a brief meeting years ago, and she suddenly knew who she had to change into.

"Anyone you like, Lucius. And I'm sure you agree that a half-blood would be so much better than a Mudblood."

"Prove it."

His voice sounded as haughty as always but Tonks could detect a note of eagerness behind it. She concentrated again, harder this time. She felt the familiar tensing when her facial muscles changed. It was difficult to do it without a mirror to check if it came out right, and it was so desperately important that nothing went wrong now. Her hair grew, changing colour as it tumbled down to her shoulders. New colours on her eyes as well, re-shaping nose, mouth and eyebrows. She would not end up an exact replica, she was still older, but it had to do.

"Let me turn around and you can see for yourself." Her voice sounded much more confident than she felt. Inside she thought. "Oh sweet Merlin, if this works and I get through this alive, I need to have a very long talk with Hermione." 

The invisible hands spun her around and when Tonks saw his face, the brief widening of his eyes, she knew that she had guessed right. She felt sick, but determinedly pushed the feeling away. Right now, she had to do what was necessary to survive.

A small smile played on Lucius Malfoy's lips. "No stamina, half-blood. It doesn't take much to make you crawl, didn't it? Very well, I will see if this is worth my time."

He leaned closer to her and for a moment Tonks thought he was going to kiss her, but his lips just brushed over her cheek, before he whispered into her ear;

"Make sure you make it worth my time. I will have my fun anyway, so you better exceed my expectations here, if you want it to pay off for you."

He took a step back and looked her over carefully. A few words and a small movement with his wand made her T-shirt split open, revealing her breasts that strained against the now too-small bra. Lucius smile grow broader, it became uglier and he let his gloved hand trail over her body, lingering here and there. Tonks willed herself to remain motionless, using all her will-power to keep her face blank, hiding the repulsion she felt. She felt a sudden gratitude to her invisible restraints, without them she doubted she wouldn't have shrunk back from his touch.

He removed his hand, moving away from her slightly. "Now. On your knees and we will see how well you can ascertain my pleasure."

Tonks found herself being brought down to a kneeling position and then she was free, nothing was holding her anymore. She looked up. The angle made the wizard's face look deformed and to Tonks it looked like he was finally showing his real face, not the beautiful man but that of the monster he truly was.

"I am waiting."

She closed her eyes to try to compose herself, opened them again and stared at layers of expensive fabrics. In the corner of her eye she could see her bag and when she looked back on the man before her, she realised that she couldn'tt act any longer. Tonks could not bear to touch him and before she thought it through, her body reacted. She threw herself away from him, desperately attempting to reach her bag and her wand. She miscalculated her move. Perhaps it was the alcohol in her system, or fear, or a combination of both. Perhaps it was the clumsiness she never seemed to be able to fully shed. Lucius got a hold of her hair as she passed him and threw her in the opposite direction. She landed on her elbow and the pain paralysed her for a moment.

With a hand still in her hair, Lucius stepped forward, placing a foot on the hand she had pushed herself upright with. She looked up at him and his face seemed unnaturally white to her, his eyes burning with a pale fire. He yanked her up further, his foot still on her hand. Tonks cried out in pain as the pressure on her hand increased. Something was breaking in it, she could feel it even if it didn't hurt as much as she thought it ought to.

"It's shock," she managed to think before another yank made her forget everything except the pain. For a fleeting moment she saw a picture of all the small and fragile bones in her hand and she wondered how many of them that were broken now.

Then, just as she was nearly claimed by unconsciousness, she felt a sudden movement around her, as if a gigantic rubber band had snapped. Then she knew the alarm wards had finally worked through Lucius's spell. With an effort she shook away the threatening unconsciousness, using all her strength to make the nails of her free hand grow long and deadly sharp. With her last bit of strength she sank the claw-like nails in the hand buried in her hair. Lucius let go of her head at the same moment Lupin and Kingsley apparated into her room. The dark wizard took a step back and her mangled hand was free. The last thing Tonks managed to do before she really fainted was to roll away from him, to ensure he wouldn't be able to leave with her.

She awoke slowly, staring up into faces she knew belonged to her friends, though at the moment they were just blurred shapes.

"Did you catch him?" she asked and she saw the shapes shake their heads.

"No, he managed to apparate before we could do anything." That was Kingsley, she couldn't mistake his deep voice. And then Remus's low, concerned voice caressed her ears.

"Don't move Tonks, we will apparate you to St Mungo's in a moment." Someone, she was sure it was Remus, stroke her face in a calming manner, and then he spoke again. "It's over now and you will be fine."

"Yes I will," Tonks thought. But she also knew that she had made a much more personal enemy of Lucius Malfoy than before and that thought filled her with a dread she wasn't really prepared to accept.


	2. Chapter 2

Tonks ran. She had been running for a long time, every breath was laboured and painful. Darkness engulfed her and every way she turned she was blocked by tall shapes in black robes. She bolted, running this way and that, only to be forced to turn around once again. Suddenly she slipped and fell, and when she looked up, she was surrounded. The men closed ranks, forming a rapidly shrinking circle around her. 

 

She scrambled to get up on her feet again, but one of the men stepped forward, catching one of her hands and forcing her to remain on the ground. She could not see his face, but she knew who he was. Cold fear ran over her. The grip on her hand tightened, tears of pain rose in her eyes and she could once again feel the bones grind and break. Lucius Malfoy's voice, cool and calm, came to her as from a distance.

 

"Isn't it a pleasure, half-blood, to meet again? Let's start again from the point where we were so rudely interrupted."

 

Tonks woke up, choking on a scream, her pyjamas wet from sweat. She looked wildly around her, realising that she was still in a bed at Grimmauld Place. Her hand had been healed and she was safe. Hugging her knees, she tried to calm down, thinking about the visit to St. Mungo's. She had had luck, a mediwitch had looked at her hand almost straight away and mended it very quickly. It had not been as bad as Tonks had first thought, but it was clear that the mediwitch thought that it was her "husband" who was behind the injury and not the heavy door Tonks had claimed was responsible. Poor Lupin had been eyed with a frown, his worn clothes and tired face evidently not good in evading suspicion. The only physical reminder of her unfortunate encounter was the soreness in her scalp where her hair had been so viciously tugged.

 

A knock on the door startled Tonks, but she calmed down when Lupin's voice called out for her. She found her wand, the smooth wood of it a comfort under her fingers, and she unlocked the door. Lupin entered, treading softly to her bed. He sat down at the end of it, eyeing her with some concern.

 

"Bad dream?"

 

Tonks nodded. "Yes, very bad."

 

Lupin waved his wand and was presented with two mugs of hot cocoa. Tonks sipped gratefully. The rich scent of chocolate relaxed her.

 

"I was going to let him rape me," she said after a minute. "That is, I thought I was going to let him, but I found that I couldn't do it without a fight, in the end. But it wouldn't have helped me." She drank some more of the cocoa. "I know, I have always known, and hated, what the Death Eaters stand for. I know what they have done, but I have never been affected so closely before. I think I have never fully understood how filled by hatred a human being can be. I don't know if I understand it now either."

 

Lupin stretched out his hand and she eagerly took it. She watched his face and thought of how much thinner he had become since Sirius's death. Too thin now, he didn't need to lose that weight. For the first time it struck Tonks how lonely he must be. She squeezed his hand and he gave it a gentle tug in response.

 

"Do you spend much time in the Muggle world?" she asked, feeling a need to let the conversation take a different turn. The small grimace he made told her that it was the wrong thing to ask, but he answered her anyway.

 

"No, not anymore. Not since I was bitten. Both my parents agreed that it would be best. Then they got divorced and I lost all contact with my Muggle relatives."

 

"I'm so sorry," Tonks whispered and Lupin smiled gently at her.

 

"Don't worry about that." He released his hand and stood up. "Try to sleep now. We will have a meeting as soon as you wake up, but try to sleep as long as you like, you need the rest ."

 

He left the room and though it took some time, eventually Tonks slept again.

 

It was late morning when the meeting took place in the kitchen. Tonks, Lupin and Kingsley were all there, and so was Molly Weasley. Tonks felt glad when the older woman had arrived, as she had not wanted her own Mum to be worried about the events last night. Now she found it was a comfort to sit close to Molly, who seemed to release waves of maternity to everyone around her. They had spent the better part of the night gathering information about Lucius's flight from Azkaban.

 

Tonks retold the events of last night and now Kingsley filled in the holes of the story. Apparently Malfoy had escaped just a few hours before he had turned up in Tonk's home. But the escape had not been notice until Kingsley had shown up at the prison. Apparently a co-prisoner had been bribed, or threatened, to take Polyjuice repeatedly to cover the fact that Malfoy was gone. Exactly how a low-security prisoner had ended up in Lucius's cell or how the wizard had been able to get out of the prison, was as yet unknown.

The hopes of getting information from the imitator was quickly squashed. It turned out it was not only Polyjuice in the small flask that had been found on his body, but also a slow-working poison. By the time the escape had been known, the man was already dying. He had not been able to provide any information, his last minutes alive was spent screaming as the poison ate away at his insides. Tonks shuddered. A horrible death, which was pure malice. In a perverse way, it made sense to kill the accomplice, but none whatsoever to let him die in agony.

 

Then came the question of why Malfoy had wanted to bring Tonks to the Dark Lord.

 

"As a way to come into You-Know-Who's good graces again, of course," Tonks said. She was quite astonished she was able to say that without letting her voice waver. "He must be in disgrace right now for messing up at the Ministry and to be caught. It would probably have been an excellent way to humour You-Know-Who, if he brought me there. I am, after all, an Auror and now known to be closely affiliated with Dumbledore and Harry. Not to mention a half-blood."

 

Everyone fell silent. Some of her friends nodded and Mrs. Weasley gave Tonks a quick hug. After a while Lupin cleared his throat. He seemed uncomfortable and fiddled a little with his wand before he spoke. Tonks knew what he was going to say and she suddenly dreaded it. So far she had been able to shrug off some of the terror she had encountered since she became a member of the Order. She knew many considered her giddy and foolish, but it had been a way to keep sane. She had never really laughed at the world. The flippancy she sometimes showed was just another way to hide the very real commitment she felt for her cause. A way to cope. But right now she felt weary and scared.

 

"Tonks," Lupin said. "I know this isn't a nice subject, but we have to discuss it. Why did you look like Hermione when Kingsley and I got to your flat?"

 

The surprised gasp from Molly told Tonks that the other woman had been unaware of that part of the rescue. It also told her that Mrs. Weasley grasped the implication very quickly.

 

"It was a guess," Tonks answered. "Unfortunately a lucky one. Hermione stands everything he hates. A Muggleborn, intelligent, far more so than Draco, and she is Harry's friend. She is also growing up to be very pretty. It was a guess, but I'm afraid it worked very well. I have to tell Hermione about it now, I guess."

 

"No!" Molly sounded very agitated. "Absolutely not. Hermione has enough to deal with. Beside, she is still a child and shouldn't be exposed to such things and she will be very well protected at Hogwarts!"

 

Lupin shook his head in disagreement. "I think Tonks must tell her, Hermione must be made aware of this. She may be young, but she has already been subjected to far more dangers than most kids. She is bright and if Lucius Malfoy has a special interest in her, she will need to be able to take precautions." He looked at Tonks. "I think you should go to Hogwarts today, if you feel you can cope with it. Dumbledore would want to hear about this from you as well. I'll apparate with you to Hogsmeade and follow you to the school."

 

Tonks nodded, avoiding Molly's reproachful stare. It wouldn't be fun to do this, but it was necessary. Hermione had to know.


	3. Chapter 3

Tonks leaned against a statue of a rather depressing looking dragon, waiting for the Muggle Studies class to finish. She knew this was Hermione's last lesson this day, so it would be possible to talk with her without interruptions. Tonks felt jittery and nervous, time moving way too slowly for her taste.

Lupin had followed her to the school's gate, promising her to meet her there when she was finished. Normally such chivalrous behaviour would have annoyed her, but today she felt grateful. While she walked the stairs for her interview with Dumbledore, she caught a glimpse of a tall, blond man in the throng of students, and her heart stopped. But when he came closer she saw that it was not a man, only a boy who had grown fast, though the hair and the sneering face were so much like her captor. Draco Malfoy. Tonks' heart slowed, though she still felt a little queasy when she met his eyes and his smirk became more pronounced.

"Does he know?" she wondered. She rather thought so, but she was determined not to let the brat make her nervous. When she passed him she tossed her head and called out nonchalantly.

"Hi Coz!"

She smirked a little herself when she heard one of the idiot-friends of her cousin ask who she was in a baffled tone. Tonks was certain Draco had neglected to tell his companions of any half-muggle relations, especially those with pink hair and T-shirts with rude remarks printed on them.

The talk with Dumbledore was brief, but even so it calmed her and made her feel much better. To her relief he agreed wholeheartedly that Hermione needed to be told. He even offered to accompany Tonks, something she declined. So, now she was waiting for Hermione, rehearsing in her mind what she was going to say. The clatter of moving chairs and chattering voices told her that her wait was over. When the door to the classroom was opened, she peered in, looking for Hermione.

Tonks spotted her at a desk, slowly gathering up books in her arms. The chair beside her own was empty and though it could mean that its occupant had been in a hurry to leave, Tonks got the feeling that the chair had, and always had been, empty. She wondered if Hermione had any friends, apart from Harry and the Weasley children, and she thought not. It saddened her; her own schooldays had been filled with friends and fun.

Hermione was coming toward her now, hunching slightly over her heavy books, looking serious and a little grave. Too serious. Now Tonks would have to add to it. Hermione looked up and caught sight of Tonks.

"Tonks!" she exclaimed, shifting her books over to one arm so she could give the older witch a somewhat awkward one-armed hug. "What are you doing here?"

She looked much happier at once, smiling at Tonks, but the smile faded when she saw Tonks' unusually grave look.

"Let's take a walk," Tonks said. "We can go to the lake."

They didn't spoke much until they had reached the water, seating themselves comfortably underneath an old oak.

"Don't you have any female friends?" Tonks asked.

Hermione looked a little surprised. "I have Ginny, of course. Lavender and Parvati aren't half-bad either. None of them take Muggle Studies, though, if that's what you're thinking about. I actually don't mind sitting alone. Normally I sit with Ron and Harry and sometimes they chatter so during  
lessons."

She threw Tonks a shrewd glance. "But I don't think you brought me here to discuss my friends, did you? Something has happened."

Though Tonks had dreaded to tell Hermione, it turned out to be easier than she had thought. Hermione's quick mind grasped the facts and implications without need for Tonks to repeat herself. The girl gazed thoughtfully out over the lake when Tonks had finished, a little paler than usual, but otherwise composed.

"I guess it's not really surprising," she said. "He hates me and everything I represent, so of course he wants to hurt me. And you. I'm glad that he didn't manage to hurt you more." 

Hermione thought a little before she continued. "I guess I'm pretty safe here at school, but I worry about my parents. What if something happens to them?"

"Dumbledore will strengthen the wards around them today, I spoke with him before I came to you. I don't think you have to worry too much about them. In this case, the contempt Malfoy feels for all Muggles will work for us. His hate has made him ignorant; he simply doesn't know much about the Muggle world and it's unlikely that he will venture into it, at least for now." 

Tonks saw Hermione frown a little and knew what she was thinking of, so she continued. "I know, there were Muggles killed the last time You-Know-Who had power. But those were almost exclusively people who had came into the wizarding world, one way or another."

Hermione nodded. "I see. But do I need to tell Ron and Harry about this? They'll worry and probably come up with some annoying, crazy scheme to keep me safe."

"No, of course not. The important thing is that you know. As you said, you will probably be safe here. Still, it can't hurt to read up on different kinds of precautions. If, and I dearly hope it will never happen, Lucius Malfoy manages to get hold of you, you need to be able to defend yourself and you will not have your wand. But you know wands originally weren't needed to perform magic. They were established as a means to control magical ability, and a very good thing that was. Still, there are instances when magic can happen without it. The first manifestation of magic in a child comes, for example. There are also the body transformations I can do, or those of an Animagus. Those don't require a wand either."

"I know," Hermione answered. "There are some books on it in the Restricted Section. Do you think I could get access to those? I'll tell Miss Pince it is for a school project, but perhaps you can talk to Professor McGonagall so she can write me a note of permission?"

She had paled even more while she talked, but she looked determined. "It's so stupid!" she said angrily. "To be hated, not because I have said or done something, but just because I was born. I know it's not unique for this world, I know it happens in the Muggle world as well, but it's still so stupid!"

Weeks passed and Tonks found new routines. She stayed at Grimmauld Place for a week, the gloominess almost driving her mad. Then she found a nice room located over Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley. She sensed Lupin wasn't very happy to see her go and she felt sorry for him. To stay in the old house, in Sirius's house, must be very depressing. But he really wasn't there all that much and she simply couldn't stand to live there, even if Lupin had been an excellent housemate.

She went to her work at the Ministry as usual, only choosing different ways and times every day to get to and back from work. Nothing was heard about Malfoy, he seemed to have disappeared completely. Little by little the worst fear was worn off; Tonks just wasn't made to worry and she couldn't live in constant terror. She hadn't seen Hermione again, but she'd heard that the girl was doing as well as she usually did at school.

When the attack finally came, it didn't come as an assault in a dark alley, as Tonks had somehow expected. It came in broad daylight among the crowded passages of Diagon Alley. Tonks were strolling down the street after picking up some books at Flourish & Blotts. She was contemplating an ice-cream when it happened. It was an explosion, at least that was what it appeared to be, though not a sound was heard. A wave of pressure knocked down most people around Tonks and she fell herself, dropping her books. When she looked up she could see people running to and fro, some of them bleeding and others were crying.

She crawled up, looking around her. Some of the people on the ground weren't moving and she realised they must be dead. Tonks bent over a woman she thought was moving, but never got a chance to see if she was all right. A strong hand closed on her arm, her wand was wrenched from her and then came the familiar feeling of being apparated. Away from the sunshine and the horror on Diagon Alley.


	4. Chapter 4

As soon as Tonks and her captor re-appeared at the new location, he let go of her. She took two steps forward to regain her balance, then she turned to face him. It was Lucius Malfoy. Naturally. He had not come upon her when she was alone, as she had been prepared for, and he had caught her totally off balance. The terrible realisation that he had literally walked over dead bodies to get to her made the scathing remark on her lips wither and die.

Tonks made an effort not to shy away from him. Instead she carefully studied him, not showing him how scared she actually was. He looked his usual elegant self, not at all like a man who was on the run. His robes were in perfect order, not even a speck of dust at the hem, the snakehead on the cane hiding his wand was polished. His hair hung down his back without a strand out of place, as immaculate as if he had only gone for a leisurely stroll. He met her stare and smiled in grim satisfaction.

"So happy you could join me, Nymphadora. It will be interesting to have you here as my guest."

Tonks winced as her name was transformed into an insult by his tone. She might have disliked it all her life, but it wasn't supposed to be pronounced with such contempt. She firmly pushed back the panic that wanted to burst through. Instead she let the rage she felt show. "

"Diagon Alley, all those people. All those innocent people! How many did you kill?"

Lucius Malfoy shrugged. "They are of no concern. Their death served a purpose, that is all."

Obviously, he would not lose no sleep over the death and suffering of so many people and Tonks didn't say anything else. She wanted to scream at him, hurt him, for his indifference, but it was no use. Her heart bled when she thought about it, but she would gain nothing if she was to rant about it here. She studied her surroundings instead, making an effort to ignore Malfoy. She might be stuck in a hopeless situation, but she was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her grovel.

They were standing in a vast gallery, stretching out before and behind them. Walls, floor and ceiling were all made of black stone, so polished that she could see a vague mirror reflection of herself in the walls. Though all black, the gallery was still not dark, as one side of it was almost entirely made of large windows, facing a landscape that looked vaguely Italian. But this was not a real room, but an illusion. They were standing in a chimera, in Lucius's fantasy. Tonks supposed she should be grateful it wasn't a dank dungeon.

 

The room offered no escape possibilities. There was no telling where real windows and doors were located, or how large the room really was. For all she knew they could still be standing in plain view on Diagon Alley. She was also certain they were nowhere near Malfoy Manor. Tonks reluctantly looked back at Lucius again. He was watching her, obviously evaluating her appearance and evidently not liking it much. He stepped closer and now Tonks did back away from him. Lucius frowned and muttered an incantation. Tonks found herself sitting on a black stone bench, placed close to the wall. Dainty silver chains appeared out of nowhere, fastening themselves to the walls. They were long enough to give her room to sit or stand, but not to move around. She looked at the elegant silver cuffs that encircled her wrists, a patterns of serpents winding its way around them. Pretty, but the daintiness was just another illusion. Tonks had no doubt that she was bound by the strongest spells Lucius could muster. He stood close to her, tilting her face up so she was forced to look up at him. His hand, as usual in black gloves, held her face still while he scrutinised her.

"You are quite pretty after all. If I can assume that this face is indeed your own?" 

The hand tightened it's grip and Tonks made a small affirmative noise. Still holding her, he let his other hand run through her hair. Just this day it was short and curly, in a rather startling shade of purple.

"Your hair, though, Nymphadora. Always in these appalling colours." His eyes travelled over her body. "These clothes are a horror as well, even if I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised of this lack of taste. Well, it can all change. Transform your hair into its natural colour!"

"No," Tonks said, fully expecting him to try to force her. But he let go of her and shrugged, walking up to one of the windows and looked out at the scenery. He threw her a glance over his shoulder, looking amused.

"Don't worry, half-blood, your time will come. We are just waiting for some company. As soon as we are all gathered here, you will probably wish you were still waiting."

Tonks was left, if not alone, at least in peace with her thoughts. No one knew where she was, or with whom. If the explosion in Diagon Alley had had such horrible results as she thought, then all attention would be directed to the wounded and dead. She had no idea how long it would take until her absence was noted. Too long, she feared. What was the company Lucius had talked about? Not the Dark Lord himself, at least. You were brought to him, not the other way around. But other Death Eaters... The panic Tonks wanted to ignore reared its head again. Lucius was bad in himself, what he would do to her would be more than enough. The thought of several men doing the same made her almost sick from fear. But wait she must, she could not escape this.

The minutes dragged on, perhaps it was even hours. Tonks concentrated on her breathing, making an effort to keep it slow and steady. To pass the time she studied the man before her. When she had been in school, Lucius Malfoy had been the centre of many of her classmates' adoration. After You-Know-Who's fall, Lucius had renounced his evil ways, claiming it was fear for his beautiful wife and darling son that had forced him into the dark wizard's service. It had been a very popular theme in the magazines teenage witches liked to read. It was so romantic, Tonks' friends claimed; the handsome wizard, devoted to his family, made to do unspeakable things out of fear. There had been tear-wrenching interviews, illustrated with glamorous photographs. Many of those pictures had been pinned to the walls, the subject of teenage sighs. All lies, Tonks had known that then as she did now, but lies that were believed. Once she had got into a fight with a fellow Gryffindor girl who claimed that Lucius was misunderstood and that Tonks' declaration that he was evil stemmed from pure malice.

More time passed in the gallery. Tonks grew tired of watching the immobile man by the window and leaned back. She thought of every muscle in her body, making them relax. It wasn't easy, but it was something she had learned when she had been in training to become an Auror. Rest when you can, preserve your energy until you need it. Lucius suddenly moved and Tonks sat upright, once again tense. He moved toward her and she knew the waiting was nearing its end. Whatever was to come, it was almost here and she tried to brace herself. Then a girl suddenly appeared in the room. She staggered and unlike Tonks she didn't regain her balance and fell. A large leather-bound book flew from her hands when she tried to break her fall with her arms. Tonks stood up and moved, forgetting the chains until they abruptly pulled her back. The girl on the floor looked up, and Tonks found herself staring into the brown eyes of Hermione Granger.


End file.
